KABUL: U.S. President Donald Trump has shared a map of Venezuela decorated with the American flag, referring to the South American country as the “51st state” of the United States.
Trump posted the image early Wednesday on his social media platform, Truth Social, while en route to China.
The U.S. president had said in an interview with Fox News a day earlier that the idea of making Venezuela America’s 51st state was under consideration.
Following Trump’s remarks, Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim president, stated that her country had never considered joining the United States as its 51st state, even after the arrest of former President Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. forces detained Maduro and his wife during a military operation in Caracas in January 2026.
According to reports, following Maduro’s arrest and legal reforms introduced by Venezuela’s interim administration, the country’s oil and mining sectors were reopened to American companies.